London’s Cartoon Museum is a great place to visit – and downthetubes reader Izzy World popped along recently to take a look… Located in the heart of Bloomsbury, about five minutes from either Tottenham Court Road or Holborn tube, the… Read More ›
Creating Comics
Articles on creating comics, how tos, reference information and more
When Saturday Comes: Comic Sporting Heroes of Yesteryear
While attending the inaugural Capital Sci-Fi Con at Meadowbank earlier this year, I got to see James “Safest Hands in Soccer” McCulloch, the author of City of Lost Souls being ambushed by John “Ball of Fire” Ferguson of DiamondSteel Comics… Read More ›
2000AD Script Book to reveal original work of comics giants
Some of the world’s greatest comic writers have cut their teeth at the world famous 2000AD – and now readers will get to see their creative power laid bare with The 2000AD Script Book. Published this October in the UK and North America, The… Read More ›
Cam Kennedy helps launch new comic course at University of Dundee
Legendary Judge Dredd and Star Wars artist Cam Kennedy will help launch a new postgraduate programme for aspiring comics artists, writers and scholars at the University of Dundee later today. The new MLitt/MDes Comics and Graphic Novels course will be… Read More ›
Panel Borders delves into Action – The Story of a Violent Comic
Panel Borders, the only regular monthly look at comic books, graphic novels and sequential art steam* broadcast in the UK over the airwaves, delves into the story behind one of the country’s most controversial comics tonight. Guest presenter Professor Martin… Read More ›
Awesome Comics Podcast Episode 36: Pat Mills
It’s an epic show this week, as Vince Hunt, Dan Butcher and Tony Esmond are joined by British comics titan Pat Mills on the Awesome Comics Podcast – and boy, do they all have one hell of a time. The… Read More ›
Steampunk Robots and Demon Mice? Count me in for “Cognition”
Ken Reynolds, editor of the terrific anthology Spliced Quarterly and ace letterer of many British indie comics, is seeking backing to print his latest project Cognition #0 – a supernatural-noir-adventure drawn by Sam Bentley about a steam-powered automaton inhabited by a… Read More ›
Jamie Me’s “Start Again” adult comic hits back at online taunters
Offering a heady adult-oriented mix of sex, superheroes and sarcasm set in Leeds, Jamie Me‘s explicitly British comic Start Again is well on the way to successful crowdfunding, but still looking for further support before the campaign ends next week…. Read More ›
Awesome Comics Podcast Episode 35: Alfie Gallagher
After a few weeks of con fever, artist extraordinaire Alfie Gallagher joins Vince Hunt, Dan Butcher and Tony Esmond to talk about his three-issue series Charlatan Tales, his work and influences and the exciting projects he’s got coming next. The… Read More ›
Cult Empire Comics opens doors to creator-owned submissions
Cult Empire Comics, the British independent publishers of Vietnam Zombie Holocaust and Horror Show, have announced they are looking for submissions for creator owned comics. Founded in 2010 by George Lennox, Cult Empire started as an online comic book store… Read More ›
Shrewsbury Cartoon Festival back in April
Now coming up to its thirteenth year, the Shrewsbury Cartoon Festival is back on 16th April 2016 – an annual event at which a small army of professional cartoonists from all over the UK and overseas meets up to draw and paint cartoons… Read More ›
Back To The Life of a Freelancer…
So. Today is my first day as a freelance comic keeping operative once more, with ROK Comics behind me and several projects in the works. I’m excited but nervous. It’s been a fraught few weeks in the run up to… Read More ›
Creating Comics: A New Alert Service for UK Comic Show Tables Availability
Comic creator Luke Surl – creator of the web comic lukesurl.com, which has been running since 2008 – has set up a mailing list, ComicShowTables, that will email you every time a con in the UK opens for booking! He’s asked… Read More ›
Comic Creator Spotlight: The Art of Jeff Bevan
Colin Noble guides fans through the DC Thomson work of Jeff Bevan – and we share some of his fine art, too
Creating Comics: Dos and Don’ts Advice for Creators Printing Their Comics for the First Time
We’re delighted to repost this nifty advice about getting your comics printed, posted recently by the folk at ComicPrintingUK. This isn’t a sponsored post – I simply came across the feature, which covers both printing tips and offers other useful… Read More ›
Awesome Comics Podcast Episode 34: Nich Angell and 7String/Big Punch Studios
Nich Angell, creator of the action music odyssey 7String and one of the mighty Big Punch Studios joins Vince Hunt, Dan Butcher and Tony Esmond to talk about his epic comic series and what lead to the creation of the… Read More ›
Artist Spotlight: ILN Cutaway Artist G H Davis
One of the most challenging subjects for any artist must be the cutaway. Combining artistry with technical accuracy is a challenge that few take up and yet, when they do, the results can be remarkable. There are two main types of… Read More ›
A Cautionary Tale: Artists Warned Not to Sell Unlicensed Prints
Thor: New Beginnings artist Manuel A. Carmona is on a bit of a mission, after noting the growing trend of artists selling unlicensed prints at conventions of properties they down’t own. He’s written a blog post on the subject, pointing… Read More ›
In Review: The Salon of Rejects
Six short stories from Mhairi Braden, Myfanwy Tristram, Ross Mackintosh, Sarah Ushurhe, Michael Lomon and Tom Plant Out: Now The Book: Edited and published by Tom Plant, the idea behind The Salon of Rejects is to collect and celebrate some of the… Read More ›
Eagle Daze: The Life and Times of Leonard James Matthews – Part Seven
Leonard Matthews, General Managing Editor of Fleetway and the Eagle Group of Comics, was a Creative Visionary… but that, Roger Perry argues in his extensive biography of the man which continues here on downthetubes, is only due to him having utilised the ideas… Read More ›